Chelsea are champions - but Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has demonstrated nothing but bad sportsmanship in claiming the Blues failed to achieve their title triumph in style.

Jose Mourinho's side, who started the season in unbelievable goal-scoring fettle, have somewhat faltered in terms of their attacking output since the turn of the year, instead prioritising a more defensive approach in the wake of injuries to starring forwards Diego Costa and Loic Remy.

In being unbeaten in their last fifteen Premier League outings since New Year's Day - where the Blues were beaten in a frenetic game at White Hart Lane - Mourinho's men have blown away their nearest "challengers" with ruthless efficiency.

After that 5-3 defeat to Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City topped the Premier League with an absolutely identical record. People then predicted the closest title race in the competition's history - but whilst City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool all failed spectacularly at various stages over the course of the year, Chelsea marched on with unrelenting fury.

The biggest indicator was when Chelsea hosted the champions back in January. Ravaged by injury and facing a City side bang in form, the best the visitors could muster was a 1-1 draw against a side that had four Under 21s on the bench in addition to veterans Petr Cech and Didier Drogba.

Last year, Manchester City won the Premier League title and the League Cup - a very special achievement. That feat has been matched by Mourinho's men. Yet Pellegrini says it was not done with the same swagger as City a year ago.

"It is important for the fans to play attractive football. We did exactly the same that Chelsea did this year, but we scored 158 goals last year", he said. "We scored more goals in another style".

After his spectacular failure at City this season, the Chilean is clearly clutching at straws: "This team continues as the most scoring team", Pellegrini added. "That side is important, to continue winning in that sense".

Sadly, Manuel, goals alone do not win you league titles.

And even if they did, the supposedly "boring" champions have only scored two goals less than their northern rivals, and with three games remaining, opportunity remains for that gap to be further narrowed.

Chelsea have won Premier League titles in style. In 2009/10, not only did the Blues score more goals (103) than City did last season (102), but they also conceded five fewer goals. In 2004/05, in Mourinho's first spell, Chelsea set the league's record points tally - 95 - winning a record 29 games. The equalled that number of wins the following season, again surpassing the 90 points mark.

They've won the league in style this year, too. How else can you explain being thirteen points clear with just three games remaining?

By contrast, City won the Premier League last season by default. Liverpool, inspired by the goalscoring prowess of Luis Suarez, significantly overachieved, whilst Chelsea themselves, in a period of sustained transition in Mourinho's first season of his second spell in charge, only ever found themselves in contention thanks to a string of impressive performances home and away against their top four rivals.

If it wasn't for Chelsea, Pellegrini and his side would never have lifted the title last season. So, Manuel, rather than being condescending of a team that has absolutely dominated English football this season, perhaps it would be more appropriate to showcase a degree of respect and magnanimity.

That being said, if Roberto Mancini's departure is anything to go by, Pellegrini won't be at City next season to try and make amends....